


Day 10

by taskinst



Series: Seducing Niall in 100 Days [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, still innocent here, unlike the other one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-16
Updated: 2012-11-16
Packaged: 2017-11-18 19:03:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/564262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taskinst/pseuds/taskinst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I think it said a lot about Niall – that I could compare his expression while sleeping with his expression while laughing. It had the same air about it: unguarded, genuine, innocent, withholding nothing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 10

**Author's Note:**

> 2nd installment to the 100 Days series, where Day 1 is the day the boys begin bootcamp.

It’s been ten days since I first met Niall.

But out of all the boys put into the group Simon formed at bootcamp, I was the closest to him. He was the kind of guy that was very difficult to avoid knowing, because he was literally everywhere getting along with everybody. By the end of bootcamp, there wasn’t a single soul, including the staff, that hadn’t heard of Niall. He was just sociable and easily likeable, and I guess that was also made me feel close to him.

He was the type that struck you as an open book, but that was what made him an enigma. As little as I knew about him, I felt like I had known him for a long time. Yet, I also knew that nobody was  _really_  an open book.

He had the kind of eyes that were so expressive that if you looked close enough, you could see all of his emotions reflected in those ocean blue orbs. Sometimes, he would laugh in such an unguarded, genuine way – not holding anything back – that his face would scrunch up cutely and his eyes would turn into slits. He could be laughing at something that only he found funny whilst everyone else just looked on, but a small smile would creep onto my lips as I felt his delight – the purest of its kind – wash over me like a tidal wave.

I wore the same smile as I propped my head up on one arm and quietly observed the blond boy’s sleeping form. I think it said a lot about Niall – that I could compare his expression while sleeping with his expression while laughing. It had the same air about it: unguarded, genuine, innocent, withholding nothing.

Last night, we arrived at the bungalow.  The car ride was, to say the least, enjoyable. It was a little quiet at first as none of us knew each other too well. But Niall, being the eternally sociable and talkative one, opened up the conversation for everyone and soon, we all relaxed in each other’s company. The most surprising revelation was Louis’ sense of humor and knack to do or say whatever he wanted just whenever. His random outbursts kept Niall giggling throughout the entire journey, which in turn made me smile into the palm of my hand as I stared out the window pretending to be in my own world.

The bungalow was a small place in the backyard of Harry’s stepdad’s house, and although there was a bed, instead of fighting over who got to sleep on it, we chose to pad the entire area with mattresses. We could basically fall asleep wherever we wanted around the bungalow, but we ended up chatting until the dead of the night lying on the padded floor, and falling asleep a couple feet away from each other…

… Which took me back to the present as I observed the smaller boy as he stirred lightly in his sleep, lifting one arm to scratch the side of his naturally flushed cheeks before mumbling something and rolling over in my direction to face me. We were close – too close for comfort, really. But he was asleep, and I was caught in a trance. For a moment, I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

It was something about the way he looked so innocent, curled up in the blankets with only his head peeping out from the edges. It was something about the way his lips sometimes pursed as he slept, but the way they returned to their natural shape was captivating to watch – it looked like a small pink flower blooming, except softer and even more delicate.  _He was beautiful_  –  _perhaps even beyond that_ , I thought to myself as I felt my hand reach out from under the covers and inch towards the blond boy’s face. I wanted so badly to place my palm gently against his lightly flushed cheeks, and my sudden urge was so alarmingly real that I had to use my other hand to stop myself from actually touching him. I nearly scratched myself from the sheer force I had to utilize to suppress my urge, but the action shook me out of my trance and suddenly, I was aware.

And I was nothing short of terrified; so much that I immediately fell into the sea of denial and began desperately convincing myself that nothing had happened.

My self-deception was a success, for now.

 

* * *

 

I was an early riser by habit. Every morning since we’d been at the bungalow, I’d woken up at 7 AM sharp and ate breakfast before going for a little jog around the area. The neighborhood was very peaceful and there really wasn’t much of anything around, so it was perfect and calming for short morning jogs.

The weather was mild this morning. The flowers and plants outside were covered in a layer of dew, glistening in the gentle morning sun. The sound of birds chirping and crickets singing filled the air in the most melodious, comforting way, acting as a backdrop to the calm morning scenery. I let my mind run free and become one with my surroundings as my legs picked up speed. The nature beside me turned into a blur as I flew past, but I kept my eyes focused on a random spot in the distance. The wind blew at my face and through my hair – the caress soothing and familiar.

Running always had a way of calming my nerves and relieving my stress. I had always been a good runner, but my training schedule changed drastically when I discovered the effect it had on me. I felt free when I ran. I felt like I could escape all my troubles. If I ran as fast as I could, and the worries and monsters that haunt my mind would be carried away by the breeze that blew past me.

I ran all the way through my early teenage years, so jogging in the morning just became a habit of sorts. I would be restless if I didn’t have a mini workout in the morning – be it jogging, which was my favorite, or just doing a couple of push-ups. The area around the bungalow and our lack of a daily schedule just made it convenient for me to jog every morning.

The other boys were usually up at around 9 or 10, so I had a good 2 hours of time alone every morning. They said that I was the serious one couldn’t crack a joke – but it was because, having been rejected once, I wanted to get to the live shows really badly. I couldn’t help my attitude – all the lads were serious, I knew that, but I felt like every moment spent having a laugh was a moment wasted.

 

* * *

 

Thirty minutes later, I found myself sat on a small wooden bench just outside of the vicinity of the backyard where the bungalow was situated. The wooden bench faced what seemed to be an endless field of grass. The cloudy morning sky was beginning to clear up and reveal peeks of blue above layers of white. I was taken by surprise when a voice suddenly spoke from behind me.

“Up early again?”

I could recognize that distinct voice and accent from anywhere.

Turning my head briefly, I smiled and waved at Niall, who walked up beside me and sat down on the bench. He turned to me and gave me a bright grin before leaning back on the backrest of the bench and putting his arms behind his head casually.

We sat in a comfortable silence. Niall might seem like a loud and bubbly person most of the time – he would crack jokes and laugh at them himself, all in a manner that could be considered cute or annoying. It wasn’t hard to think of his carefree attitude as insensitive, but I understood that he really wasn’t.

“You know,” he suddenly said in a calm tone, breaking me out of my reverie. “It’s okay to relax sometimes.”

He had the kind of voice that – when projected – was very loud, but when used in such a calm and quiet manner, felt like slow running water on a clear forest stream. It had a magical soothing effect that I could listen to forever.

Taking my silence as a signal to continue, Niall sat up and looked on into the distance.

“I mean, we’re all nervous about what’s coming up, and sometimes, you got to relax so it doesn’t get to you.”

Maybe he felt like he was uttering something top secret, because from the way he whispered the last few words, you would think he was saying something that couldn’t be heard by any other. His low voice carried a beautiful melodic quality that resonated well with the air and made me sigh – I just wanted to hear more. I could see that he was beginning to fidget from my silence.

Turning to him, I studied his face for a bit before our eyes locked.

“You have a beautiful voice,” I heard myself say before I could control myself. My eyes widened in surprise and I began thinking of ways to take it back, but I recovered immediately and pretended that it was what I had meant to say.

“Wha…” was the coherent respond he gave as his mouth gaped. I could see his naturally flushed face becoming redder as the color travelled from his neck to his cheeks. It was cute – how easily he was flustered because he was so pale.

“Thank you…” he muttered quietly. That was when I realized how close our faces were. Somehow, we had ended up sitting shoulder to shoulder on the old wooden bench, and now facing each other, we were barely five inches apart.

Like the way the moon pulled the tide of the ocean towards itself when it was near, I felt the distance between us gradually disappear – it was as though we were both trapped in our proximity, unsure of what anything meant. However, just as we were close enough that I could feel his breath on mine, I suddenly found his head buried at the crook of my neck. Somewhere during that short moment, he had placed an arm around my shoulders. I could feel his soft blond hair tickling the base of my neck and the warmth of his skin on mine.

“Relax and it’ll be okay.” he said quietly into the crook of my neck. I could feel his words on my skin, carving itself into my soul. We sat like that for a moment, him hugging me warmly, his head on my shoulder. It was a comforting gesture, but it sent tingles through my body from our point of contact on my shoulder. It shouldn’t be like that, but it was something about the way his hair smelled like fresh lemon and sweet cinnamon, and the way his skin was warm to the touch.

When he removed himself from me and stood up, he stretched his arms and body and jumped up and down a few times. I found myself noticing just how lithe and skinny his frame was, and mentally punched myself.  I bit my lip as I looked away discreetly. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Earth to Liam!”

I was shaken awake by surprise. It was so ridiculous that I had to chuckle a little at just how out of it I was.  

“Sorry, I’m back now. What were you saying?”

It was silly, probably just a one-time thing.

“Let’s get back, we gotta start practicing!” Niall said in a chipper tone, his enthusiasm returning and his earlier calm all but gone.

I stood up walked after the energetic boy, who was practically skipping back to the bungalow, yelling at the other boys telling them that he’d finally ‘found’ me.

There was a lot more to Niall than what anyone would expect.


End file.
